Games for Furnace

Well the cat is out of the bag and I’ve thrown my hat into the ring about what games I’m going to run at this years Furnace. Two of the games, Bullet Cop and Blood & Sand, I’ve not mentioned before and I’ll post about them individually later to expand upon the quick explaination I’ve given in these player pitches.

D101 Games presents…

Monkey: A storytelling game of the Journey to the West

“The Bag of Wind” by Newt Newport for six players

The Jade Emperor wants you to escort one of the Queen Mother’s handmaidens to a party on Ki Yin’s Western Island.

The only problem is that some one has stolen the Fung Po The Windlord’s magic Bag of Wind, while Demons run amok and heavy rains flood the lands of the Tang Emperor.

As disgraced immortals of the Western Heaven you see more than a few opportunities to make up for your previous crimes and return home.

Monkey is a new storytelling game based upon the Chinese classic The Journey to the West. A blend of action and humour, Monkey uses a card based mechanic that models the mythological world the novel is set in, with its mix of Immortals, Buddhism, Taoism and martial arts.

The full version of the game will be released in Summer 2008, but fully playable version of game will be available at the Convention.

Blood and Sand: Enter the Arena

A Sword and Sandals game for Six Players By Newt Newport

Far above the floor of the theatre of death amidst the baying crowd sits the Tyrant of the city. Since the day that you gained your freedom, you have sought the power that the Tyrant wields by controlling the whole city through a web of priests, guildmasters, sorcerers, warriors and demons. Either through the gangs that control the streets, the merchants that control the bread that feeds the masses, or the mercenaries that fight the city’s wars, you have sought to usurp the Tyrants Power, by stealing a piece at a time. But it is here on the day of games to celebrate the Tyrant’s rule that the biggest gains are to be made. Whole blocks of the population can be swayed your way if the team of charioteers that you sponsor wins. Important officials can be bought by the winnings they make off your Gladiators. Perhaps even the Tyrant, will feel threatened enough by the power that you amass to let down his guard.

As the philosopher Thanopoclus says

“Here in the Arena, amongst the Blood and Sand, lies the beating heart of the power that fuels the very being of the city.”

Blood and Sand is a new swords and sandals game, influenced by the Ancient period, old style Runequest and Robert E Howard’s Conan stories. A game where the player characters fight their way out slavery to power in a world dominated by massive City states ruled by evil Tyrants. It uses a modified and extended version of the rules published in the SRD of the the new Mongoose Runequest released under OGL. Currently in development it is due to be published in 2008.

Bullet Cop : Against the Mob

A storytelling game of 70s hardboiled cop action for four players by Newt Newport

The mafia dominates the whole of the West side of Kill City. Two thirds of all the city’s business goes through the coffers of the Family. Their enforcers walk the streets openly, eliminating any one who opposes the Don’s will. The police , the Judges and the Press are on their payroll. They own city hall.

Except you. You’ve decided to get clean of all the corruption that riddles the city and make a stand.